Second Chances
by Aislinn Trista
Summary: Shepard is finally reunited with Garrus, but faces losing him again.  Jacob offers comfort and advice, steering her away from a dark path.


Disclaimer: Mass Effect and all of it's characters are the property of Bioware.

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**Second Chances**

by Aislinn Trista

"Let me go!" Shepard cried, as they carried Garrus into the medical bay.

Mordin and Dr. Chakwas quickly and carefully placed the injured turian onto one of the examination tables. The doctor looked over the damage and shook her head, as the salarian began to prepare the equipment for surgical procedures.

Jacob held Shepard fast, as she struggled to get into the room. Miranda stood by coolly, watching through the window as they worked on Garrus. When they removed his armor, the turian suddenly cried out in pain.

"Garrus!" The Commander called out, as her face twisted in anguish. A bright biotic halo formed around her body, as she gathered energy for an outburst.

Miranda turned around, just in time to see Jacob go flying and slide across the mess hall floor. Shepard strode forward, her silhouette framed with biotic fire. The Cerberus officer stepped in front of her, an expression of annoyance and anger painting her features.

"Commander!" Miranda shouted with authority. "Calm down, right now!"

Shepard stopped, realizing what she had done. The biotic energy faded as she whipped around to look for Jacob. He was already up off the floor and walking towards them.

"Jacob...I am so, so sorry." She sincerely apologized. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Commander." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "A few bruises, maybe. That was a nice hit."

Miranda narrowed her eyes at Shepard, arms crossed in front of her. After a few moments, she turned and walked away. Jacob watched as she left, heading towards her office on the other side of the mess hall. He looked back to see the Commander silently staring at the medical bay window. The two of them stood next to each other, solemn as they watched the gory scene before them.

"Oh God." Shepard suddenly sobbed, her body shaking. She squeezed her eyes shut; trying to stop the tears she could feel beginning to flow.

"It looks bad, I know." Jacob tried to comfort her. "They're going to do everything they can to save him."

He paused, noticing the tears begin to slide down her face. Her eyes gleamed in the bright light. They reminded him of tropical oceans he'd only seen in vids. In that moment, he realized that the famous Commander Shepard was more than he imagined. She wasn't an unfeeling and immovable object, but a strong and beautiful woman who was just as vulnerable as anyone else. A woman who was feeling pain for someone she cared about deeply.

"Garrus was part of your old crew, right? The ones who helped you stop Saren?" He asked, trying to distract her.

"Yes." She nodded slowly. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to prove Saren attacked Eden Prime."

"He must be a good friend. It seems like he means a lot to you." Jacob added cautiously, hoping to avoid another trip across the mess hall.

"Yeah. He does." She replied, her voice almost a whisper.

"Shepard, maybe you should go get cleaned up." Jacob placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her away from window. "I'll stay here, make sure everything's OK."

Confused, the Commander looked down. Her white armor was stained with splashes of dark blue. It was all over her hands, arms, chest and neck. Turian blood. Garrus' blood.

"What happened, exactly?" She asked in shock, her voice shaky. "I remember Garrus went down, but after that..."

Jacob glanced down at the floor, as if he didn't want to answer her question. He paced a few steps, contemplating how he would handle telling her the truth.

"The gunship was destroyed. Completely." He answered in a grim tone, recalling the memory of what happened perfectly. "You crushed it. Twisted it into scrap metal."

_Jacob was pinned down, taking fire from hostiles that had rappelled down the wall and entered through the side window. He'd heard the voice of an angry batarian, threatening Archangel, then a loud explosion. Turning to see what happened, he noticed Garrus laying on the ground and Shepard standing defensively over him. What happened next was unlike anything he'd ever seen._

_A biotic cloud had formed around the woman that was almost as bright as the sun. Jacob remembered having to shield his eyes from the light. There was an ear-piercing boom, followed by the groan of bending metal under stress. He watched in horror as the gunship collapsed on itself, much like a piece of paper crumpled in someone's hand. Shepard's face was darkened with rage, her hand forming into a fist. She violently gestured away from herself, and the once gunship was flung into the mercenary barricade. It exploded and destroyed everything in a nearby radius._

_The Commander hadn't even watched to see where it hit. She was already on the ground, cradling Garrus in her arms. The turian was gasping for breath, choking on his own blood and making a horrible gurgling sound. As the others rushed over to help, Jacob noticed that Garrus was still stubbornly gripping the barrel of his rifle. The other hand suddenly reached up and grabbed Shepard's arm, as if he wanted to tell her something. She took his hand and held it tight._

_"We're getting you out of here, Garrus. Just hold on!" She cried. A trickle of crimson was coming out of her nose, the stress of her biotic display beginning to manifest._

As if on cue, Jacob watched Shepard turn her head and look at the three-fingered bloody handprint on her arm. There was a long moment of silence, as the memories of what happened came back to her. The Commander took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"And if Garrus dies, I'll do a whole lot worse to those bastards." She replied, her voice filled with dark determination. Jacob looked taken aback, surprised by her brutality. It was a significant shift from the warm and caring woman he'd seen so far.

"I understand." He told her sympathetically. "But don't let this change who you are, Shepard. I admire that person. It would be a shame if she faded away."

Shepard's features softened at his words. Jacob shifted uncomfortably, seeming to regret his admission. An appreciative smile touched her lips, and she nodded.

"I'll remember that, Mr. Taylor." She told him, then glanced back through the window. Mordin and Chakwas were continuing their operation on Garrus. He was still now, most likely unconscious from some sort of sedative.

"Don't worry, Commander. I'll stay here. If anything happens, I'll call you over the comm. I promise." The ex-soldier assured her. "I break my word, you can toss me across the hall again. If it'll make you feel better."

"Thank you." She replied, smiling half-heartedly. "Jacob, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Commander." He nodded, happy to oblige. There was an awkward pause, while Shepard struggled with what she wanted to say.

"If you loved someone for a long time, but were afraid they didn't feel the same way…would you still tell them?" She asked quietly, her eyes never leaving Garrus.

A sad expression crossed Jacob's face. He looked at the turian laying on the examination table, then his gaze fixed on Shepard.

"I think about it this way." He answered, in a matter-of-fact tone. "We only get one life to live. You got lucky in that case. You came back. That's a second chance no one else has ever had. Something to think about."

Shepard turned her head and locked eyes with his. There was an unspoken understanding between them.

"Yeah, it is something to think about." She agreed, and this time her smile was warm and genuine. "I appreciate that, Jacob."

Shepard reluctantly turned and headed for her quarters. Jacob watched her walk away, contemplating the conversation they'd just had. When she was out of sight, he looked back towards the medical bay and smirked at the injured turian.

"You may not feel like it now, Garrus…" He said jokingly. "But you're a lucky man."


End file.
